The Opelousas courier., 1887-12-17
TAXIDERMY.
The Art of stuf1ng Birds and
Animals.
The Entertaining Talk of a New
York .Taxidermist.

" n AAS
of the taxidermist's skill in a little store
on Williams street, says the New York
News. Among them is one of the larg-
est of the bald-headed eagles ever shot.
His wings were outstretched and his
talons fastened into the branch of atree.
He was shot by Capt. Lynch, who runs
the steamboat New York between this
city and Newburg on Sundays. Last
year he killed twenty bald-headed
eagles, shooting five in n day. lie
used to put out meat about a month be-
fore he tried to shoot the birds in a spot
where he knew they would find it. At
first they were very shy; but as time
passed and they got their meat regular
sly and were not disturbed, they became
quite tame. So when the breeding sea-
son was over the captain would take his
gun, go out in the mountains and never
return without an eagle.
sIt is funny" said the taxidermist
yesterday, chow the birds come in to
be mounted. For instance, to-day they
will all be canaries; the next day may
bring a lot of meadow larks or high
holders and SO on.
'sIn this country it is quite the fashion
for private individuals to decorate their
houses with pretty birds. Sometimes
Fashion says that hawks are the proper
thing, and we have to ransack the coun-
try for hawks. Again, owls are too
lovely for anything, and the poor hawks
have to go and perch in some secluded
corner while Mr.. Owl has his day;
though, if you gave him his choice, he
would prefer the night. Last summer
it was quite the thing to have a large
crane, with his wings uplifted, serve as
a screen.
"Besides the majority of people who
care only for a bird or two for display,
there are a few who make large coilec-
| tions of birds. A Mr.. Lawrence, a Wall
street broker, has over /, 800 different
lspecies of American birds and is adding
| to it constantly. Another gentleman, a
Wall street lawyer of the same name,
has a large collection of Albino birds.
/ have sold him white sparrows, white
| quail, white crows, aud whenever a
white bird comes to me all / have to do
is to send him word and q purchaser is
Immediately forthcoming forthc Albino.
p SIN continental Europe the people
never buy birds for themselves. The
| state does that for them. Here, how
ever, were it not for private patronage
we taxidermists would have to go out of
business. y
This dealer had in stock fully 800 diff
ferent species of humming birds. Some
were Of the most brilliant purple plu-
mage; others sported a most striking
red attire. Birds of paradise were
there, too, in abundance. with their
beautiful plumage and long, waving
feathers. Tyre bir,ls. with their feath-
ers arranged like a harp, he had by the
score.
Then, too, rare and beautiful animals
of every sort kept staring one in tx
face. Here was a tiger that had an ant
bear in its grasp. Under q glass case
were a lot of frogs on skates, represent
ing a scene in Central Park Lake during
the skating season. Perhaps the finest
thing of all was a boar hunt, consisting
of a group of two bears and seven dogs.
On the back of one of the bears was a
~ferocious dog trying to get hold OF the
boar's ear. The boar seemed to be wild
with rage, and was trying to get at an
other dog tight in front OF him, while
the latter was doing his level best Z
keep out of the way. Another dog hae
the boar BY the leg, while his compan-
ion was trying to get in some fine wori
on the boar's ribs. The other boa
seemed to be at bay, and the rest Of thu
dogs were Standing q little way from
him, evidently perfectly willing to keel
their distance.
Besides these groups there were deer
that had just been mounted for a New
York sportsman. Stretched out o n thu
floor was the skin of a man-eating tiger,
soon to BE mounted. This tiger was
monster, and had the reputation o
killing a dozen persons before he wa
shot.
In fact, in this one nnpretending stor'
in William street there are more rar'
and beautiful birds, triumphs of tn
taxidermist's skill, than in most an.
museum in the United States.